User interfaces of a hearing device

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and devices for dynamically adjusting a user interface provided by an external unit of a hearing device. In an example method, the external unit determines whether a state of the external unit is one of (i) a coupled state when the external unit and the stimulation unit are coupled or (ii) a decoupled state when the external and the stimulation unit are decoupled. The external unit then provides one of (i) a first user interface when the determined state is the coupled state or (ii) a second user interface when the determined state is the decoupled state. The second user interface provides access to a greater number of functions of the hearing device than first user interface provides.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No.62/058,079, filed Sep. 30, 2014, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the information described in thissection is not prior art to the claims and is not admitted to be priorart by inclusion in this section.

Various types of hearing devices provide people with different types ofhearing loss with the ability to perceive sound. Hearing loss may beconductive, sensorineural, or some combination of both conductive andsensorineural. Conductive hearing loss typically results from adysfunction in any of the mechanisms that ordinarily conduct sound wavesthrough the outer ear, the eardrum, or the bones of the middle ear.Sensorineural hearing loss typically results from a dysfunction in theinner ear, including the cochlea where sound vibrations are convertedinto neural signals, or any other part of the ear, auditory nerve, orbrain that may process the neural signals.

People with some forms of conductive hearing loss may benefit fromhearing devices such as hearing aids or electromechanical hearingdevices. A hearing aid, for instance, typically includes at least onesmall microphone to receive sound, an amplifier to amplify certainportions of the detected sound, and a small speaker to transmit theamplified sounds into the person's ear. An electromechanical hearingdevice, on the other hand, typically includes at least one smallmicrophone to receive sound and a mechanism that delivers a mechanicalforce to a bone (e.g., the recipient's skull, or middle-ear bone such asthe stapes) or to a prosthetic (e.g., a prosthetic stapes implanted inthe recipient's middle ear), thereby causing vibrations in cochlearfluid. hearing devices

Further, people with certain forms of sensorineural hearing loss maybenefit from hearing devices such as cochlear implants and/or auditorybrainstem implants. Cochlear implants, for example, include at least onemicrophone to receive sound, a unit to convert the sound to a series ofelectrical stimulation signals, and an array of electrodes to deliverthe stimulation signals to the implant recipient's cochlea so as to helpthe recipient perceive sound. Auditory brainstem implants use technologysimilar to cochlear implants, but instead of applying electricalstimulation to a person's cochlea, they apply electrical stimulationdirectly to a person's brain stem, bypassing the cochlea altogether,still helping the recipient perceive sound.

In addition, some people may benefit from hybrid hearing devices, whichcombine one or more characteristics of the acoustic hearing aids,vibration-based hearing devices, cochlear implants, and auditorybrainstem implants to enable the person to perceive sound.

Hearing devices typically include an external unit that performs atleast some processing functions and an internal stimulation unit that atleast delivers a stimulus to a body part in an auditory pathway of therecipient. The auditory pathway includes a cochlea, an auditory nerve, aregion of the recipient's brain, or any other body part that contributesto the perception of sound. In the case of a totally implantable medicaldevice, the stimulation unit includes both processing and stimulationcomponents, though the external unit may still perform some processingfunctions when communicatively coupled or connected to the stimulationunit.

A recipient of the hearing device may wear the external unit of thehearing device on the recipient's body, typically at a location near oneof the recipient's ears. The external unit may be capable of beingphysically attached to the recipient, or the external unit may beattached to the recipient by magnetically coupling the external unit andthe stimulation unit.

SUMMARY

Hearing devices such as these or others may include a sound processorconfigured to process received audio inputs and to generate and providecorresponding stimulation signals that either directly or indirectlystimulate the recipient's hearing system. In practice, for instance,such a sound processor could be integrated with one or more microphonesand/or other components of the hearing device and may be arranged todigitally sample the received audio input and to apply various digitalsignal processing algorithms so as to evaluate and transform the receiveaudio into appropriate stimulation output. In a cochlear implant, forexample, the sound processor may be configured to identify sound levelsin certain frequency channels, filter out background noise, and generatecorresponding stimulation signals for stimulating particular portions ofthe recipient's cochlea. Other examples are possible as well.

In general, the sound processor of a hearing device may be configuredwith certain operational settings that govern how it will processreceived audio input and provide stimulation output. By way of example,the sound processor may be configured to sample received audio at aparticular rate, to apply certain gain (amplification) trackingparameters so as to manage resulting stimulation intensity, to reducebackground noise, to filter certain frequencies, and to generatestimulation signals at a particular rate. While certain sound-processingparameters are fixed, a recipient of the hearing device, or perhapsanother user, can interact with a component of the hearing device tomanually adjust settings for certain sound-processing parameters, suchas a volume level or a sound-processing program. Further, the recipientmight also interact with the hearing device to review or changeparameters not directly associated with sound-processing functions, suchas a battery level (i.e., an amount of charge remaining in a battery ofthe hearing device) or an alarm time.

To facilitate such interactions, the present disclosure is directed toaspects of dynamically adjusting a user interface provided by anexternal unit of the hearing device. By way of example, the userinterface of the external unit may include one or more input/output(I/O) components configured to receive user inputs and/or to providevisual displays of information. The visual displays may take any numberof forms, such as, for instance, different lights or light patterns, oreven a graphical user interface.

When the recipient is able to view the output components, e.g., when theexternal unit is detached from the recipient's body, the external unitmay provide the recipient with the ability to review and change a numberof parameters associated with both sound-processing functions andnon-sound-processing functions. As a result of these interactions, theexternal unit may provide the recipient with a number of visual displays(e.g., status displays) representative of settings for sound-processingparameters and/or other parameters. Such visual displays may help therecipient to select a particular parameter and to verify the changesbeing made to such parameter.

When the recipient is wearing the external unit, however, the recipientmay have a limited ability to perceive visual displays. As a result, theexternal unit may not provide as many visual displays, if any at all,when the external unit is coupled to the stimulation unit. Similarly,the external unit may provide fewer input functions when the externalunit is coupled to the stimulation unit, as compared to the inputfunctions available when the external unit is decoupled from thestimulation unit.

Adapting the functions associated with the user interface based onwhether the external unit is coupled to or decoupled from thestimulation unit may enhance a recipient's experience with the hearingdevice when the output components are visible to the recipient whileconserving power resources for sound-processing when they are not.Limiting the number of visual displays when the output components arenot visible to the recipient may also avoid situations in which a visualdisplay unnecessarily draws attention to the recipient's hearingprosthesis or is otherwise irrelevant to an observer. Further, providinga limited amount of functions while the external unit is coupled to thestimulation unit could also reduce a likelihood of the recipientaccidentally applying an incorrect change to a parameter setting whilethe recipient is unable to visually verify the setting. On the otherhand, providing a wide range of functions when the external unit and thestimulation unit are decoupled may give the recipient more options foradapting the operations of the hearing device to the recipient'sindividual preferences.

Similarly, providing a limited number of visual outputs when theexternal unit is coupled to the stimulation unit—and thus when therecipient's ability to perceive visual displays is reduced—may conservepower for sound processing. Whereas when the external unit is decoupledfrom the stimulation unit, providing a greater number of visual outputsmay deliver more information regarding different aspects of theoperations of the hearing device, thereby enhancing the recipient'sability to interact with and customize the operations.

Accordingly, in one respect, disclosed herein is a method operable by anexternal unit of a hearing device to facilitate such functionality. Perthe method, the external unit determines that a state of the externalunit is one of (i) a coupled state when the external unit and thestimulation unit are coupled or (ii) a decoupled state when the externaland the stimulation unit are decoupled. The external unit also providesone of (i) a first user interface when the determined state is thecoupled state or (ii) a second user interface when the determined stateis the decoupled state. The second user interface provides access to agreater number functions of the hearing device than is provided firstuser interface.

In another respect, disclosed herein is a hearing device systemcomprising a stimulation unit and an external unit, with the externalunit including at least one user-interface component. In practice, theexternal unit provides via the at least one user-interface component a(i) a first user interface when the external unit is coupled to thestimulation unit or (ii) a second user interface when the external unitis decoupled from the stimulation unit. A functionality provided via thesecond user interface differs from functionalities provided via thefirst user interface, and the external unit provides fewerfunctionalities via the first user interface than via the second userinterface.

In addition, in still another respect, disclosed is an external unit ofa hearing device, which includes at least one user-interface componentconfigured to receive a user input, at least one visual-output componentconfigured to provide a visual output, and a processor. In practice, theprocessor is configured to receive an indication of a user interactionwith the external unit. Responsive to receiving the indication, theprocessor determines whether the external unit is coupled to ordecoupled from a stimulation unit of the hearing device. Based on theuser input, the processor also performs a function selected from one of(a) a first set of functions when the external unit is coupled to thestimulation unit or (b) a second set of functions when the external unitis decoupled from the stimulation unit. Additionally, the processorcauses the visual-output component to provide the visual output, whichis selected from one of (a) a first set of visual outputs when theexternal unit is coupled to the stimulation unit or (b) a second set ofvisual outputs when the external unit is decoupled from the stimulationunit. Here, the second set of functions comprises a greater number offunctions than the first set of functions, and the second set of visualoutputs includes a greater number of visual outputs than the first setof visual outputs.

In yet a further example, disclosed herein is a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that includes instructions stored therein thatare executable by a computing device to cause the computing device toperform functions. The functions include making a first determination ofwhether an external unit of a hearing device is decoupled from astimulation unit of the hearing device. If the first determination isthat the external unit is coupled to the stimulation unit, then thefunctions further include selecting a visual output from one of a firstset of visual outputs. On the other hand, if determination is that theexternal unit is decoupled from the stimulation unit, then the functionsfurther include selecting the visual output from a second set of visualoutputs. The second set of visual outputs includes a greater number ofvisual outputs than the first set of visual outputs. Additionally, thefunctions include causing a display component of the external unit todisplay the selected visual output. The functions also includeprocessing input signals received from a user-input component of theexternal unit as corresponding to a function included in one of (a) afirst set of functions when the first determination is the coupled stateor (b) a second set of functions when the first determination is thedecoupled state. The second set of functions includes a greater numberof functions than the first set of functions.

These as well as other aspects and advantages will become apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detaileddescription, with reference where appropriate to the accompanyingdrawings. Further, it is understood that this summary is merely anexample and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention asclaimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a simplified illustration of an example system in whichfeatures of the present disclosure can be implemented.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of an alternative state of the hearing devicesystem depicted in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of example external units of a hearingdevice.

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram depicting components of an exampleexternal unit of a hearing device.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting functions that can be carried out inaccordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings as noted above, FIGS. 1A and 1B are simplifiedillustrations of a system in which features of the present disclosurecan be implemented. In particular, FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a hearingdevice 10 that includes an external unit 12 and a stimulation unit 14.In an example arrangement, a recipient wears the external unit 12 on therecipient's body, while the stimulation unit 14 is implanted in therecipient's body. By way of example, the hearing device 10 is depictedas a cochlear implant. In this case, the stimulation unit 14 includes anelectrode array 16 configured to stimulate one of the recipient'scochleae. In other examples, however, the hearing device 10 may be adifferent type of hearing device. For instance, if the hearing device 10is an auditory brainstem implant, the electrode array 16 may be adaptedto be inserted into a portion of the recipient's brain. Or in examplesin which the hearing device 10 does not deliver electrical stimuli tothe recipient, a different stimulation component replaces the electrodearray 16. Further, the stimulation unit 14 may not necessarily beimplanted in the recipient's body in each embodiment of the hearingdevice 10. For example, the stimulation unit 14 might be inserted in oneof the recipient's ear canals when the recipient uses the hearing device10.

In an example implementation, the external unit 12 may operate in one oftwo states: a coupled state and a decoupled state. When operating in thecoupled state, the external unit 12 processes sounds, such as sound 20,to generate stimulation data, and the external unit 12 then transmitsthe stimulation data, via a forward link 22, to the stimulation unit 14.The stimulation unit 14 receives and processes the stimulation data togenerate one or more stimuli, and the stimulation unit 14 then causesthe electrode array 16 to deliver the one or more stimuli to thecochlea, thereby enabling the recipient to perceive at least a portionof the sound 20.

To thus use the hearing device 10 to enable the recipient to perceivesounds, the recipient couples the external unit 12 to the stimulationunit 14, as shown in FIG. 1A. Coupling the external unit 12 and thestimulation unit 14 may facilitate transmission of data between theexternal unit 12 and the stimulation unit 14, perhaps by aligning a coilof the external unit 12 with a coil of the stimulation unit 14.Typically, coupling is achieved via one or more magnets included in boththe external unit 12 and the stimulation unit 14, though other means forcoupling the external unit 12 and the stimulation unit 14 are possibleas well.

When the recipient decouples the external unit 12 from the stimulationunit 14, as shown in FIG. 1B, the external unit 12 is in the decoupledstate. In the decoupled state, the external unit 12 does not transmitthe stimulation data via the forward link 22. As a result, thestimulation unit 14 does not transmit the telemetry data via a back link24 and may not stimulate the recipient's cochlea.

The external unit 12 provides the recipient, or perhaps a differentuser, with one or more user interfaces via one or more user-interfacecomponents. As used herein, a “user interface” refers to inputs and/orvisual outputs associated with a set of functions or operations that theexternal unit 12 can perform, whereas a “user-interface component”generally refers to a component, such as any I/O component, that assiststhe recipient in interacting with the external unit 12. Each userinterface allows the recipient to interact with the external unit 12 toreview and/or change parameters associated with operations of thehearing device 10. The parameters may include sound-processingparameters used by a sound processor when generating stimulationsignals, such as a volume of perceived sounds (e.g., an amplitude ofstimuli applied by the stimulation unit 14), a sound-processingstrategy, a current sound-processing profile, fault codes, and/or thelike. The parameters may also include system parameters that are notspecifically related to sound-processing functions, such as a batterylevel (e.g., a current charge of the battery), usage information, alarmtimes, or the like.

To facilitate this interaction, the one or more user-interfacecomponents may include at least one user-input component and at leastone display component. By way of example, FIG. 2A depicts an exampleexternal unit 12A, which includes a light emitting diode (LED) array 30and three buttons 40A, 40B, and 40C. The external unit 12A is oneexample of the external unit 12 depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In theexample arrangement, the LED array 30 includes five LEDs 30A, 30B, 30C,30D, and 30E. In alternative arrangements, however, the external unit12A may include more or fewer than five LEDs and/or three buttons.Moreover, the external unit 12A may include, in lieu of one or more ofthe buttons 40A-40C, one or more different user-input components, suchas one or more switches, a resistive-touch device, a capacitive-touchdevice, and or any other user-input component suitable for inclusion onthe external unit 12A.

In the example arrangement, the external unit 12A receive user-inputsvia one or more of the buttons 40A-40C and provides visual outputs, ordisplays of information, via the LED array 30. In practice,functionalities of the buttons 40A-40C and/or the LED array 30 dependson whether the external unit 12A is in the coupled state or thedecoupled state.

In an example implementation of the user interface in the decoupledstate, the recipient may press a left button 40A or a right button 40Cto scroll through a set of parameters of the hearing device 10, whichincludes both sound-processing parameters and system parameters. As therecipient scrolls through the set of parameters, the external unit 12Amay cause the LED array 30 to provide a visual output in response toeach interaction. As one example, the external unit 12A may cause one ormore of the LEDs to light, with a number and/or pattern of the LEDs30A-30E corresponding to a particular parameter.

For instance, for the first five parameters, the external unit 12A maycause one of the LEDs 30A-30E to light as a corresponding parameter isselected. By way of example, a first LED 30A may correspond to a firstparameter, a second LED 30B may correspond to a second parameter, etc.For additional parameters, multiple LEDs 30A-30E may light. Forinstance, the first LED 30A and the second LED 30B may light torepresent a sixth parameter, the first LED 30A and a third LED 30C maylight to represent a seventh parameter, etc. Thus, the example LED array30 can provide visual outputs representing up to thirty-one individualparameters. Further, in an example in which each LED 30A-30E in the LEDarray 30 can light in different colors, the LED array 30 could providevisual outputs for more than thirty-one individual parameters. Inpractice, however, the recipient will likely have access to fewer thanthirty-one individual parameters.

Each parameter may correspond to a sound-processing parameter or asystem parameter. The recipient may then press an enter button 40C toselect one of the parameter. The LED array 30 may responsively provide avisual output indicative of a current setting of the selected parameter.If the selected parameter is a current volume setting, for example, anumber of the LEDs representative of the current volume setting maylight. In this example, lighting each of the LEDs 30A-30E may indicate amaximum volume setting, and lighting none of the LEDs 30A-30E mayindicate a minimum volume setting.

As another example, each sound-processing profile may be associated witha particular lighting pattern of one or more LEDs 30A-30E. For example,a first sound-processing profile may be associated with the first LED30A lighting, a second sound-processing profile may be associated withthe second LED 30B lighting, etc. If the selected parameter is a currentsound-processing profile (i.e., the sound-processing profile that theexternal unit 12A will use to generate stimulation signals), theexternal unit 12A may cause the one or more of the LEDs 30A-30E to lightbased on the current sound-processing profile, thereby providing avisual indication of the current sound-processing profile. Otherexamples of sound-processing parameters are possible as well.

The recipient can also select a system parameter to get an indication ofa status of the selected system parameter. For example, if the recipientselects a system parameter corresponding to a battery level, theexternal unit 12A may provide a visual output indicative of the currentbattery level, perhaps by lighting each of the LEDs 30A-30E when thebattery is completely charged (e.g., the battery level is atapproximately 100%) or lighting none of the LEDs 30A-30E when thebattery is nearly drained (e.g., the battery level approaching 10%).Additionally or alternatively, the external unit 12A may cause one ormore of the LEDs 30A-30E to light in one color, such as green, when thebattery level is above a threshold battery level, and the external unit12A may cause one or more of the LEDs 30A-30E to light in a differentcolor, such as red, when the battery level is below the threshold level.Other examples of system parameters are also possible.

The recipient can also interact with one or more of the buttons 40A-40Cto change the setting of some parameters. To change the volume, forexample, the recipient may press the right button 40B to increase thevolume or the left button 40A to decrease the volume. The LED array 30may provide a visual output representative of the new volume as therecipient presses the buttons 40A, 40B. And when the recipient has setthe volume to the desired level, the recipient may press the enterbutton 40C to apply the new volume setting. Alternatively, the externalunit 12A may automatically apply the new volume setting, or anotherselected parameter, if the recipient subsequently couples the externalunit 12A to the stimulation unit 14 without pressing the enter button40C. Further, if the recipient does not press the enter button 40Cwithin a period of time, the external unit 12A may not apply the newvolume.

When the external unit 12A is in the decoupled state, the LED array 30may also automatically provide visual outputs in some conditions. Forexample, upon entering the decoupled state, i.e., when the recipientdecouples the external unit 12A from the stimulation unit 14, the LEDarray 30 may automatically display a current parameter setting, such asthe battery level. Further, the recipient may be able to select theparameter that is automatically displayed upon decoupling, perhaps byinteracting with the one or more buttons 40A-40C. Additionally oralternatively, the LED array 30 may also automatically provide anindication of a fault or error detected by the external unit 12A,perhaps by causing one or more of the LEDs 30A-30E to flash and/or lightin red.

In one example implementation, the external unit 12A provides a limiteduser interface when the external unit 12A is idled. For example, if arecipient interaction is not received within a time limit, such asperhaps thirty seconds or even several minutes, the external unit 12A isidled. In this case, none of the LEDs 30 may be lit, thereby conservingthe power resources of the external unit's battery. Or if the externalunit 12A is charging, the LED array 30 may provide a visual outputindicative of the charging and/or a current charging level, perhaps byflashing or lighting one or more of the LEDs 30A-30E in a left-to-rightsequence.

To “wake up” the external unit 12A from the idled condition, therecipient may interact with the external unit 12A, perhaps by pressingone of the buttons 40A-40C, thereby providing the recipient with accessto the full user interface available in the decoupled state.Additionally or alternatively, the recipient can wake up the externalunit 12A by moving the external unit 12A. In this example, the externalunit 12A may include one or more sensors configured to detect a movementof the external unit 12A, such as one or more accelerometers. In thiscase, the external unit 12A could determine whether a movement detectedby the one or more sensors is consistent with the recipient preparing tointeract with the device, such as when the recipient picks the externalunit 12A up from a table. In yet a further example, the external unit12A could be configured to wake up when the recipient unplugs a chargingcable.

In the coupled state, the external unit 12A provides a different userinterface. The recipient may have a limited, if any, ability to see theLED array 30 while wearing the external unit 12A. Accordingly, the userinterface generally provides fewer visual outputs in the coupled statethan in the decoupled state. And since the recipient typically needs tomodify only one or two parameters, most notably the volume, whilewearing the external unit 12A, the user interface also provides accessto fewer functions than it does in the decoupled state. Further, becausethe recipient does not receive visual feedback when the external unit isin the coupled state, limiting the functionalities corresponding toinputs may also reduce a likelihood of the recipient accidentallychanging the wrong parameter.

The external unit 12A may thus provide a user interface in the coupledstate that allows the recipient to change fewer parameters than in thedecoupled state. For example, pressing the left button 40A or the rightbutton 40B may respectively decrease or increase the volume setting, asopposed to scrolling through a series of selectable parameters, asdescribed with respect to the user interface in the decoupled state. Inan additional example, the recipient may also be able to cycle throughthe available sound-processing modes or profiles by pressing the enterbutton 40B.

Additionally, whereas the external unit 12A may provide a visual outputin response to the recipient interacting with one of the buttons 40A-40Cwhen in the decoupled state, the external unit 12A may not provide avisual output in response to such interactions in the coupled state.Instead, the external unit 12A may generate, and send to the stimulationunit 14, one or more stimulation signals that provide an audibleindication of the change being applied. For example, when the recipientincreases the volume, the external unit 12, upon applying the change,may generate stimulation signals that will cause the recipient toperceive a tone, with a volume of the tone being representative of themaximum volume. Additionally, if the recipient changes asound-processing mode or profile, the resulting stimulation signalsgenerated by the external unit 12A may cause the recipient to perceive atone, or perhaps a spoken word or phrase indicative of the selectedsound-processing mode/profile.

In some examples, however, the external unit 12A may still providevisual outputs in the coupled state. For instance, the external unit 12Amay cause one of the LEDs 30A-30E to provide visual indication ofwhether the hearing device 10 is properly functioning. As one example,one of the LEDs, such as the third LED 30C, may be lit, or possiblyflash, green when the hearing device 10 is operating normally or redwhen the hearing device 10 is not operating normally. The third LED 30Cmay also flash red when the battery level is low. Additionally, theexternal unit 12A may be equipped with an external speaker, in whichcase the external unit 12A may also provide an audible alarm when thehearing device 10 is not functioning properly. These indications may beparticularly advantageous when the recipient is a student, as the visualindication may alert a teacher when the recipient is using the hearingdevice 10 and/or when the hearing device 10 is not properly operating.

The recipient could also configure the external unit 12A, perhaps byusing an external computing device, to cause the LEDs 30A-30E to be litwhile the recipient is wearing the external unit 12A in certainlocations. In the example in which the recipient is a student, forinstance, the external unit 12A may be configured to limit visualoutputs while in the coupled state to times in which the recipient is atschool. Additionally or alternatively, the external unit 12A may includea positioning device, such as a global positioning service (GPS)receiver. The external unit 12A could also be configured to receive asignal indicative of a current location of the recipient, perhaps byreceiving positioning information from a local area wireless network ora positioning device, such as a device with a GPS receiver. In theseexamples, the external unit 12A may provide visual outputs only incertain locations while in the coupled state, such as when the externalunit 12A determines that the recipient is at school.

FIG. 2B illustrates another example external unit 12B. The external unit12B includes a display 32, a sensor 34, and buttons 42A, 42B, and 42C.The display 32 is preferably an electronic paper display, perhapsimplemented as a touchscreen, though the display 32 could also be aliquid crystal display (LCD) or an LED display. The buttons 42A, 42B,and 42C are substantially similar to the buttons 40A, 40B, and 40C,respectively. Further, in lieu of one or more of the buttons 42A-42C,the external unit 12B may include one or more different user-inputcomponents, such as one or more switches, a resistive-touch device, acapacitive-touch device, and or any other suitable user-input component.

The sensor 34 may provide an additional indication of the recipientinteracting with the external unit 12B. The external unit 12B mayperiodically receive from the sensor 34 a signal indicative of whetherthe recipient is looking at the display 32. For instance, the externalunit 12B may be idled if a signal indicative of the recipient is lookingat the display 32 is not received within a time limit, such as thirtyseconds or up to several minutes. Additionally or alternatively, theexternal unit 12B may not wake up until both a signal from the sensor 34indicative of the recipient looking at the device and a user-input atone of the buttons 42A-42C are received.

Like the external unit 12A, the external unit 12B may provide a userinterface in the decoupled state that differs from the user interface inthe coupled state. The recipient may interact with the user interface,in both the decoupled state and the coupled state, in a manner that isthe same as or substantially similar to the interactions described withrespect to the external unit 12A. The visual outputs provided by theexternal unit 12B, however, differ from those provided by the externalunit 12A.

In the decoupled state, for instance, the external unit 12B provides auser interface, such as a graphical user interface, that includes one ormore interactive menus capable of being displayed on the display 32.Each menu may include one or more parameters, thereby allowing therecipient to quickly access a particular parameter. A representation ofeach such menu, and any submenus, and of each parameter may depend inpart on the size of the display 32. For example, a representation of aparameter could be an abbreviation, such as “VOL” for volume or “BAT”for battery level, or a graphic or an image representative of theparameter, such as a graphic of a speaker for volume or a graphic of abattery for battery level.

The external unit 12B may also provide more information than theexternal unit 12A provides regarding the operation of the hearing device10. For example, the recipient can select information regarding therecipient's usage of the implant (e.g., the time periods or amount oftime in which recipient used the stimulation unit provided stimuli tothe recipient), fault or error codes and times such codes were received,and, if the stimulation unit 14 includes an independent battery, thebattery level of the stimulation unit 14.

The display 32 may also provide visual outputs while the external unitis idled in the decoupled state. While the external unit 12B ischarging, for example, the display 32 may provide a graphic of a batterythat is representative of the current battery level, and perhaps anamount of time needed to fully charge the battery. The display 32 mayalso display an indication of whether the external unit 12B iscalibrated for the recipient's right ear or left ear, perhaps bydisplaying an “R” or an “L,” which may be helpful if the recipient usestwo hearing devices.

Further, in still another example, the display 32 may providerecipient-identifying information, such as the recipient's name andtelephone number, if the external unit 12B is idled. If the recipientmisplaces the external unit, this information can help a person whofinds the external unit 12B in returning it to the recipient.Alternatively, rather than providing the recipient-identifyinginformation, the display 32 could display an identification code andtelephone number for a third-party service that will assist the finderin returning the external unit 12B. When the external unit 12B receiveslocation information, again from either a wireless network of from apositioning device, the recipient-identifying information may bedisplayed in certain locations, while the more discreet identificationcode and phone number are displayed in other locations. In this manner,the recipient can designate certain areas in which to display therecipient-identifying information, such as in areas where a prospectivefinder is more likely to know or be able to quickly identify therecipient. Examples of such areas may include a school or a work place.

Like the external unit 12A, the external unit 12B, when in the coupledstate, may not provide an output indicative of a setting or status of aparameter. Instead, the external unit 12B may cause the display 32 toprovide a visual output unrelated to hearing device operations orfunctions. For instance, the external unit 12B might cause the display32 to provide a display that approximates the recipient's hair pattern.Such a display may be predetermined and stored in a data storage of theexternal unit 12B, and the external unit 12B may access the data storageto provide the display. This may provide some camouflaging of theexternal unit 12B, thereby making it less apparent to people around therecipient that the recipient is wearing the external unit 12B.Alternatively, the recipient might configure the display 32 to display apersonal graphic or image, such as a logo of a sports team. And in someexamples, the external unit 12B may include an LED, such as the LED 30Cdescribed with respect to the external unit 12A, which the external unit12B may light to provide a visual indication of whether the hearingdevice 10 is properly functioning.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the external unit 12 includes a user-interfacemodule 50, microphones (or other audio transducers) 60A and 60B, aprocessing unit 62, data storage 64, one or more sensor(s) 66, awireless communication interface 68, and a transceiver 70, which arecommunicatively linked together by a system bus, network, or otherconnection mechanism 72. The external unit 12 also includes a magnet 80,thereby allowing the external unit to magnetically couple to thestimulation unit 14, and a transducer 74, such as an inductive coil,that is electrically connected to the transceiver 70 to facilitatecommunications with the stimulation unit 14 via the forward link 22 andthe back link 24.

In an example arrangement, these components are included in a singlehousing, which may have a physical structure similar to the structuresof the example external units 12A and 12B described with respect toFIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively. In alternative arrangements, thecomponents could be provided in or more physical units for use by therecipient. For example, the microphones 60A and 60B, the processing unit62, the data storage 64, the wireless communication interface 68, theuser-interface module 50, and the transceiver 70 may be included in abehind-the-ear housing. The magnet 80 and the transducer 74, and perhapsone or more sensors 66, may be included in a separate housing that isconnected to the first housing by a cable. Other arrangements arepossible as well.

The user-interface module 50 includes one or more user-interfacecomponents suitable for providing user interfaces to the recipient. Asshown in FIG. 3, the user-interface module 50 includes one or moreuser-input components 52, one or more visual-output components 54, and aspeaker 56. The one or more user-input components 52 may be the same asor substantially similar to the buttons 40A-40C or 42A-42C describedwith respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively. Similarly, the one ormore visual-output components 54 may be the same as or substantiallysimilar to the LED array 30 and/or the display 32 described with respectto FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively. Note that in some examples, theuser-interface module 50 may include a touchscreen, which couldconstitute both one of the one or more user-input components 52 and oneof the one or more visual-output components 54.

When the external unit 12 is in the coupled state, the speaker 56 mayprovide one or more audible alarms when the hearing device 10 is notoperating properly. The alarm may be a tone, a tone pattern, or amelody, or perhaps a spoken phrase or an audible indication of aparticular fault experienced by the hearing device 10. When the externalunit 12A is in the decoupled state, the speaker 56 may provide audibleoutputs in response to an interaction with one of the one or moreuser-input components 52. The speaker 56 could also provide an audiblealarm that indicates the external unit 12 needs to be charged and/or anindication of the external unit 12 being lost or misplaced. Otherexample outputs are possible as well.

In the arrangement as shown, the microphones 60A and 60B may be arrangedto receive audio input, such as audio coming from an acousticenvironment, and to provide a corresponding signal (e.g., electrical oroptical, possibly sampled) to the processing unit 62. For instance, themicrophones 60A and 60B may be positioned on an exposed surface of thehousing of the external unit 12. Further, the microphones 60A and 60Bmay comprise additional microphones and/or other audio transducers,which could also be positioned on an exposed surface of the housing ofthe external unit 12.

The processing unit 62 may then comprise one or more processors (e.g.,microprocessors) and/or one or more special purpose processors (e.g.,application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic devices,etc.). As shown, at least one such processor functions as a soundprocessor 62A of the hearing device 10, to process received audio inputso as to enable generation of corresponding stimulation signals asdiscussed above. Further, another such processor 62B could be configuredto receive and process inputs received via the one or more user-inputcomponents 52 and to provide outputs via the one or more visual-outputcomponents 54. The processor 62B may also receive and process signalsreceived via the one or more sensors 66, perhaps via the user-interfacemodule 50, and to responsively determine whether the external unit 12 iscoupled to or decoupled from the stimulation unit 14, and/or todetermine whether the recipient has interacted with the external unit 12within a time limit. Further, the processor 62B may cause the speaker 56to provide an audible output, perhaps in response to determining thehearing device 10 is not operating properly. Alternatively, allprocessing functions, including functions for implementing the userinterfaces, could be carried out by the sound processor 62A itself.

The data storage 64 may then comprise one or more volatile and/ornon-volatile storage components, such as magnetic, optical, or flashstorage, and may be integrated in whole or in part with processing unit62. As shown, the data storage 64 may hold program instructions 64Aexecutable by the processing unit 62 to carry out various hearing devicefunctions described herein, as well as reference data 64B that theprocessing unit 62 may reference as a basis to carry out various suchfunctions.

By way of example, the program instructions 64A may be executable by theprocessing unit 62 to facilitate providing one or more user interfaces.For instance, the program instructions may include instructions forproviding a first user interface in the coupled state and a second userinterface in the decoupled state. To this end, the instructions maycause the processing unit 62 to process a user input by performing afunction selected from either a first set of functions when in thecoupled state or a second set of functions when in the decoupled state,with the second of set of functions differing from the first set offunctions. The first set of functions may provide, for instance, therecipient with the ability to directly adjust one or twosound-processing parameters, whereas the second set of functions mayprovide the recipient with the ability to cycle through a number ofadditional sound-processing parameters, as well as one or more systemparameters, review settings such parameters, and change one or more ofthe settings.

Similarly, the instructions may cause the processing unit 62 to providea visual output selected from either a first set of visual outputs whenin the couples state or a second set of visual outputs when in thedecoupled state. Consistent with the above discussion, the second set ofvisual outputs includes a greater number of visual outputs than thefirst set of visual outputs. That is, because the recipient has theability to access more sound-processing parameters, as well as systemparameters, via the second user interface, the second user interfaceprovides a wider variety of visual outputs than the first set of visualoutputs. The instructions may further cause the processing unit 62 toautomatically provide a visual output or, in the decoupled state, toprovide a visual output in response to an interaction with the externalunit 12.

The reference data 64B may include settings of adjustablesound-processing parameters, such as a current volume setting, a currentrecipient profile, and/or a current number of channels per signal, andstatic sound-processing parameters, such as, for instance, multiplerecipient profiles. Moreover, the reference data 64B may includesettings of system parameters not associated with sound-processingoperations, such as one or more alarm times and/or recipient usageinformation. The processing unit 62 may access the reference data 64B todetermine a current status or setting of a parameter prior to producinga visual output in the decoupled state. Additionally, the processingunit 62 may change a setting of a sound-processing parameter or a systemparameter when performing a recipient-request function. Note that thelisted examples of parameters are illustrative in nature and do notrepresent an exclusive list of possible sound-processing parametersand/or system parameters.

The one or more sensors 66 may provide the processing unit 62 with oneor more signals indicative of whether the external unit 12 is coupled toor decoupled from the stimulation unit 14. To this end, the one or moresensors 66 may include a sensor configured to provide an output in thepresence of a magnetic field, such as a Reed switch or a Hall effectsensor. Such a sensor may provide an output to the processing unit 62 inthe presence of a magnetic field generated by the magnet 80 and a magnetincluded in the stimulation component 14.

The one or more sensors 66 may also include one or more sensorsconfigured to detect a movement or condition indicative of the recipientis interacting with the external unit 12. As previously described, theone or more sensors could include one or more accelerometers, aninfrared emitter/detector, a camera, or perhaps even an internalpositioning system. As another example, the one or more sensors 36 couldinclude an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone). In this case, the one ormore sensors 36 may receive verbal commands from the recipient, and theprocessing unit 62 may process a received verbal command to display astatus of and/or update a parameter of the external unit 12. The one ormore sensors 66 may include one or more other types of sensors as well.Note that in some examples, however, the external unit 12 may notinclude the one or more sensors 66.

The wireless communication interface 68 may then comprise a wirelesschipset and antenna, arranged to pair with and engage in wirelesscommunication with a corresponding wireless communication interface inanother device such as wireless network of an external device, accordingto an agreed protocol such as one of those noted above. For instance,the wireless communication interface 68 could be a BLUETOOTH radio andassociated antenna or could take other forms. In these examples, thewireless communications may include relaying data associated with alocation of the recipient, which the wireless communication interface 68may relay to the processing unit 62 in order to assist the processingunit 62 in selecting a visual output to provide via the one or morevisual-output components 54. Note that like the one more sensors 66, theexternal unit 12 may not include the wireless communication interface 68in each possible embodiment.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 4, a flow chart is shown to illustratefunctions of a method 100 that can be carried out by an external unit ofa hearing device. For purposes of illustration only, these functionswill be described with reference to hearing device 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, the method 100 begins at step 102 with the externalunit 12 determining that a recipient is interacting with the externalunit 12. The external unit 12 may make this determination in any numberof ways. As one example, if the recipient interacts with a user-inputcomponent, then the external unit 12 determines that the recipient isinteracting with the external unit 12. As another example, the externalunit 12 may determine that a movement of the external unit 12 isconsistent with a recipient interaction. For instance, the external unit12 may include one or more sensors, such as one or more accelerometers.When the recipient decouples the external unit 12 from the stimulationunit 14, or perhaps picks the external unit 12 up from a table, the oneor more sensors may each provide signal indicative of the a movement,which the external unit 12 could interpret as a recipient interaction.To this end, the external unit 12 may process each signal received fromthe one or more sensors to determine whether a detected movement exceedsa threshold. If the external unit 12 determines that the detectedmovement exceeds the threshold, the external unit 12 may determine thatthe movement is consistent with a recipient interaction. Or the externalunit 12 may determine whether the recipient is interacting with theexternal unit 12 based on a signal received from a different sensor,such as a camera or an infrared light emitter/detector, configured toprovide an output when the recipient is looking at the external unit 12.Such sensor could provide an output when the recipient is looking at avisual-output component of the external unit 12, and the external unit12 may responsively determine that the output is indicative of arecipient interaction.

The method 100 continues at block 104 with the external unit 12 making adetermination of whether the external unit 12 and the stimulation unit14 are coupled or decoupled. The external unit 12 may make thisdetermination in one of several ways. As noted above, the stimulationunit 14 may periodically transmit telemetry data to the external unit 12at regular intervals. As a result, the external unit 12 can determinethe state based on a time since telemetry data was last received. If theexternal unit 12 receives telemetry data within a given period of time,such as 200 milliseconds or even as long as 1 second, the external unit12 may then determine that the external unit 12 and the stimulation unit14 are coupled. If on the other hand the external unit 12 has notreceived telemetry data within such a period of time, the external unit12 may then determine that the external unit 12 and the stimulation unit14 are decoupled.

In an alternative example, the external unit 12 could make thedetermination based on a signal provided by a sensor configured todetect a magnetic field, such as a Reed switch or a Hall effect sensor.In practice, for instance, the sensor could provide an output when theexternal unit 12 is coupled to stimulation unit 14, whereas the sensormight not provide an output when external unit 12 is decoupled from thestimulation unit 14. The external unit 12 may thus make thedetermination based on the whether the sensor provides the output.

If the determination is that the state is the coupled state, then themethod 100 continues, at block 106, with the external unit 12 providinga first user interface. On the other hand, if the determination at block104 is that the external unit 12 is decoupled from the stimulation unit14, then the method 100 continues at block 108 with the external unit 12providing a second user interface at block 112.

In line with the discussion above, the functionalities provided by thefirst user interface differ from the functionalities provided by thesecond user interface. For instance, the functionalities provided by thefirst user interface could include providing each of a first set offunctions and a first set of visual outputs, while the functionalitiesprovided by second user interface could include providing each of asecond set of functions and a second set of visual outputs. As describedwith respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the functionalities of the second setuser interface—which is provided in the decoupled state—provide therecipient with access to settings of more parameters than are providedby functionalities of the first user interface. But while the first setof functions differs from the second set of functions, each userinterface provides at least one functionality for changing a setting ofa sound-processing parameter. Similarly, the second set of visualoutputs includes a greater number of visual outputs than the first setof visual outputs. That is, both the first set of functions and thesecond set of functions may include one or more common functions, suchas the ability to adjust a volume of perceived sounds or to change asound-processing profile.

After performing the steps of either block 106 or block 108, the method100 ends. Note that, in some examples, the external unit 12 may notperform the steps of the method 100 in the order described. Forinstance, the external unit 12 could perform the steps of block 104, andthen perform the steps of block 102 before proceeding to either block106 or 108. Or the external unit 12 may omit block 102 altogether.Moreover, the external unit 12 may periodically performs one or moreblocks of the method 100 to verify that the external unit 12 isoperating in the correct state. Additionally or alternatively, theexternal unit 12 may perform one or more blocks of the method 100 inresponse to receiving an indication of a change of state, such as asignal from a sensor, an indication of the external unit's 12 batterycharging, etc.

With respect to any or all of the block diagrams, examples, and flowdiagrams in the figures and as discussed herein, each step, block and/orcommunication may represent a processing of information and/or atransmission of information in accordance with example embodiments.Alternative embodiments are included within the scope of these exampleembodiments. In these alternative embodiments, for example, functionsdescribed as steps, blocks, transmissions, communications, requests,responses, and/or messages may be executed out of order from that shownor discussed, including in substantially concurrent or in reverse order,depending on the functionality involved. Further, more or fewer steps,blocks and/or functions may be used with any of the message flowdiagrams, scenarios, and flow charts discussed herein, and these messageflow diagrams, scenarios, and flow charts may be combined with oneanother, in part or in whole.

A step or block that represents a processing of information maycorrespond to circuitry that can be configured to perform the specificlogical functions of a herein-described method or technique.Alternatively or additionally, a step or block that represents aprocessing of information may correspond to a module, a segment, or aportion of program code (including related data). The program code mayinclude one or more instructions executable by a processor forimplementing specific logical functions or actions in the method ortechnique. The program code and/or related data may be stored on anytype of computer-readable medium, such as a storage device, including adisk drive, a hard drive, or other storage media.

The computer-readable medium may also include non-transitorycomputer-readable media such as computer-readable media that stores datafor short periods of time like register memory, processor cache, and/orrandom access memory (RAM). The computer-readable media may also includenon-transitory computer-readable media that stores program code and/ordata for longer periods of time, such as secondary or persistent longterm storage, like read only memory (ROM), optical or magnetic disks,and/or compact-disc read only memory (CD-ROM), for example. Thecomputer-readable media may also be any other volatile or non-volatilestorage systems. A computer-readable medium may be considered acomputer-readable storage medium, for example, or a tangible storagedevice.

Moreover, a step or block that represents one or more informationtransmissions may correspond to information transmissions betweensoftware and/or hardware modules in the same physical device. However,other information transmissions may be between software modules and/orhardware modules in different physical devices.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the scope beingindicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining whether a stateof an external unit of a hearing device is one of (i) a coupled statewhen the external unit and a stimulation unit of the hearing device arecoupled or (ii) a decoupled state when the external unit and thestimulation unit are decoupled; and providing by the external unit oneof (i) a first user interface when the determined state is the coupledstate or (ii) a second user interface when the determined state is thedecoupled state, wherein the second user interface provides access to agreater number of functions of the hearing device than first userinterface provides.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: providing thefirst user interface comprises selecting a first visual output from afirst set of visual outputs and causing a visual-output component of theexternal unit to display the first visual output, and providing thesecond user interface comprises selecting a second visual output from asecond set of visual outputs and causing the visual-output component todisplay the second visual output, wherein the second set of visualoutputs comprises a greater number of visual outputs than the first setof visual outputs.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the visual-outputcomponent includes at least one LED, the first set of visual outputsincludes a visual output in which the at least one LED illuminates inone or more colors to provide an indication of whether the hearingdevice is properly functioning, and the second set of visual outputsincludes a visual output in which the at least one LED illuminates in apattern or a sequence indicative of at least one of (1) a status of acomponent of the hearing device or (2) a sound-processing parameter usedby a sound processor of the hearing device.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein providing the first user interface and the second user interfacecomprises: receiving at the external unit a user input that includes achange to a setting of a selected sound-processing parameter, whereinthe sound-processing parameter is used by a sound processor of thehearing device to either process sounds or generate stimulation signals,and wherein more sound-processing parameters are selectable when theexternal unit provides the second user interface than when the externalunit provides the first user interface; and processing the user input toapply the change to the selected sound-processing parameter.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein each sound-processing parameter that isselectable when the external unit provides the first user interface isselectable when the external unit provides the second user interface. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second user interfacecomprises: receiving at the external unit a user input that includes aselection of a system parameter, wherein the system parameter isdirected to a function of the hearing device unrelated tosound-processing, and processing the user input to identify a status ofthe system parameter; and providing a visual output of the identifiedstatus.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the determined state isdecoupled state, the method further comprises making a determination ofwhether the external unit received a user interaction within a period oftime, wherein providing the second user interface comprises: providing avisual output indicative of the external unit being idle when thedetermination is that the external unit did not receive the userinteraction within the period of time; and providing a visual outputthat includes a display of information when the determination is thatthe external unit received the user interaction within the period oftime.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interaction is one ofan input received at a user input component of the external unit or anindication that an individual is looking at visual-output component ofthe external unit.
 9. A hearing device system comprising: a stimulationunit; and an external unit comprising at least one user-interfacecomponent and configured to provide, via the at least one user-interfacecomponent, (i) a first user interface when the external unit is coupledto the stimulation unit or (ii) a second user interface when theexternal unit is decoupled from the stimulation unit, whereinfunctionalities provided via the second user interface differ fromfunctionalities provided via the first user interface, and wherein theexternal unit provides fewer functionalities via the first userinterface than via the second user interface.
 10. The hearing devicesystem of claim 9, wherein the user-interface component comprises atleast one user-input component, the first user interface provides afirst set of functions, the second user interface provides a second setof functions, wherein the second set of functions differs from the firstset of functions, and the external unit is configured to process one ormore user inputs received at the at least one user-input component toperform a function included in one of the first set of functions or thesecond set of functions.
 11. The hearing device system of claim 9,further comprising a sound-processing unit, wherein at least onefunctionality of the first user interface and at least one functionalityof the second user interface allows a user to change a setting of asound-processing parameter used by the sound-processing unit to processa sound.
 12. The hearing device system of claim 11, wherein the seconduser interface allows a user to change more parameters of the hearingdevice than the first user interface allows.
 13. The hearing devicesystem of claim 9, wherein the user-interface component comprises atleast one display component, the first user interface provides a firstset of visual outputs, the second user interface provides a second setof visual outputs, wherein the second set of visual outputs differs fromthe first set of visual outputs, and the external unit causes thedisplay component to display a visual output included in one of thefirst set of visual outputs or the second set of visual outputs.
 14. Thehearing device system of claim 13, wherein the second set of visualoutputs comprises at least one of (i) a visual output that provides anindication of a status of a component of the hearing device or (ii) avisual output that provides an indication of sound-processing parameterused by a sound processor of the hearing device.
 15. An external unit ofa hearing device comprising: at least one user-input componentconfigured to receive a user input; at least one visual-output componentconfigured to provide a visual output; and a processor configured to:(i) receive an indication of an interaction with the external unit; (ii)responsive to receiving the indication, determine whether the externalunit is coupled to or decoupled from a stimulation unit of the hearingdevice; (iii) provide access to (a) a first set of functions of thehearing device when the external unit is coupled to the stimulation unitor (b) a second set of functions of the hearing device when the externalunit is decoupled from the stimulation unit, wherein the second set offunctions differs from the first set of functions; and (iv) cause thevisual-output component to provide the visual output, wherein the visualoutput is selected one of (a) a first set of visual outputs when theexternal unit is coupled to the stimulation unit or (b) a second set ofvisual outputs when the external unit is decoupled from the stimulationunit, wherein the second set of visual outputs differs from the firstset of visual outputs.
 16. The external unit of claim 15, wherein the atleast one visual-output component comprises at least one of (i) one ormore LEDs, (ii) an LCD display, or (iii) an electronic paper display.17. The external unit of claim 15, wherein the at least one user-inputcomponent comprises at least one of (i) a button, (ii) a switch, (iii) acapacitive-touch device, or (iv) a resistive-touch device.
 18. Theexternal unit of claim 15, wherein the second set of visual outputscomprises at least one of (i) a visual output that provides anindication of a status of a component of the hearing device or (ii) avisual output that provides an indication of a setting of asound-processing parameter used by a sound processor of the hearingdevice.
 19. The external unit of claim 15, wherein the second set ofvisual outputs includes one or more visual outputs corresponding to oneor more interactive displays related to the operation of the hearingdevice.
 20. The external unit of claim 15, wherein each of at least onefunction in the first set of functions and at least one function in thesecond set of functions corresponds to a function for changing a settingof a parameter used by the sound processor to process sounds.